Poems

"Poems" by John L. Stoddard is an anthology of early 20th-century verse that touches a multitude of subjects from private thoughts and the natural world to societal observations and deeper thinking. The poems, filled with Stoddard's descriptive imagery and feeling words, display the poet's study of affection, bereavement, and the quest to figure out life, echoing the emotions of a shifting time in books and society. The book starts with "Proem," a poem describing the life of an old fiddler, capturing the delight and isolation the man gets from playing set against the idea that others see him as insane, thus laying down a thoughtful mood by diving into artistic enthusiasm and the battle poets have for acceptance. Also, "My Promenade Solitaire” is a picture of the loveliness of being alone in nature and allowing us to see when the poet thought about his life during his busy days. Through bright pictures and pondering, Stoddard gets readers thinking about common questions about life and being imaginative.